The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to air cycle machines and, more particularly, to housing for air cycle machine compressors.
Air cycle environmental control systems may be used on aircraft for conditioning air, which may include pressuring, cooling, and dehumidifying the air. The air may then be delivered to the aircraft passenger cabin and crew cockpit for occupant comfort. The conditioned air may also be supplied to the equipment bay for cooling sensitive equipment.
Air cycle environmental control systems generally employ an air cycle machine comprised of a fan, a compressor, and one or more turbines mounted for rotation on a common shaft. The turbines are configured to drive both the compressor and the fan. The air cycle machine is typically powered by compressed air which is bled from a compressor section of an engine or an auxiliary power unit. The compressed bleed air is further compressed in the compressor of the air cycle machine and thereafter expanded through the turbine or turbines thereby cooling the air and generally condensing moisture therein. The bleed air is also typically cooled prior to compression by passing it in heat exchange relationship with cold air, most commonly ram air from the atmosphere outside the aircraft, drawn through the heat exchanger by the fan of the air cycle machine. The air may be further cooled between the compression and expansion steps by again passing it in heat exchange relationship with the cold ram air. The air that has been expanded through the turbine constitutes the conditioned air that is delivered to the aircraft cabin, cockpit, and equipment bays.